Learning from a Three-year-old: Aboard The Nina and The Pinta
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to check off an item from my bucket-list: be aboard a real pirate ship.
Okay, so they weren’t actual pirate ships, even though my three-year-old will swear that they are; they are actually replicas of Christopher Columbus’s ships The Nina and The Pinta. They were docked on the Arkansas River in Little Rock for a few weeks, one of the many stops on their U.S. tour this year. And let me tell you, it was surely an experience I will never forget.
To be quite honest, my original plan was to show up with my son dressed as a pirate. I mean, how awesome would that have been–that probably would have earned me the title of “Mom of the Year” for sure. However, since a friend pointed out to me that doing so could be viewed by some as disrespectful (and because it was cold and rainy) we opted for warm jackets and hoodies.
My mother and my aunt also went with us to “ride the boats,” as my son said. His perspective on touring the ships I found quite amusing. I mean, here we were surrounded by all these intriguing artifacts, a knot-tying class in session, and tour guides spouting out information at every corner, and what is my son’s favorite part? Laughing at the life ring and staring out the drainage hole at the back of the ship.
He also really enjoyed “ringing the bell” as he called it, which in reality was just him pulling on a rope.
In addition to these activities, my son also kept trying to go down into the crew’s quarters, which definitely looked a lot roomier than the captain’s quarters. I was quite shocked to learn that Christopher Columbus, while aboard the smallest ship of the fleet, The Nina, slept in such dark (and quite possibly dank) confinement.
Looking down into crew’s quarters.
Captain’s quarters aboard The Nina
Yes, thanks to my son’s curiosity, I learned a lot while aboard The Columbus Foundation’s replicas of The Nina and The Pinta. As soon as we got on board, my little one began pulling on my arm, “Mamma, I won see da wheel.” I knew he meant the steering wheel. He was determined to “take da boat for a ride”. However, I learned that unlike The Black Pearl and The Buckaneer (Jake and The Neverland Pirates’ ship), The Nina and The Pinta, like the other ships built during the 1400s did not use wheels to steer the ship; they used a tiller, which is similar to a rudder and located at the rear of the ship. The “steering wheels” didn’t come until later.
The Tiller–used to steer the ship
Amid all the new facts I learned aboard the two ships, there was also just an air of excitement and adventure. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me and my little boy, and we loved every minute of it. If you have the opportunity to tour The Nina and The Pinta, I would highly recommend it. However, if you are taking curious youngsters, I suggest bringing another adult to help you with them while aboard. The deck can be slippery, and we all know how much little ones like to run.
For more information on The Columbus Foundation’s U.S Tour, including a tour schedule, please visit: www.thenina.com.
